Oral Presentation AUS-oMicS 2025

Effects of short-term exercise on plasma metabolic and lipidomic profiles of individuals with type 2 diabetes (#77)

Maartje Cox 1 , Aaron Raman 2 , Tim J Fairchild 2 , Bu B Yeap 3 , John P Beilby 4 , Jeremy K Nicholson 1 , Julien Wist 1 , Jeremiah J Peiffer 2 , Nathan G Lawler 1
  1. Australian National Phenome Centre, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
  2. School of Allied Health, College of Health and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  3. Medical School , University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  4. School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a common metabolic disorder characterised by chronic hyperglycaemia, with physical inactivity and excessive adiposity as predisposing factors. T2DM is associated with significant co-morbidities and increased mortality. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a twelve-day exercise intervention on the metabolome of T2DM participants, their response to an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) and acute exercise stimulus.

Methods: Thirteen people with T2DM (age 51±7 years; BMI 32.7±4.9 kg/m2) completed an OGTT before and after a twelve-day intervention consisting of 45 minutes of treadmill exercise at moderate intensity. Blood samples were collected before and after the first and last training sessions and during the OGTTs. Fasted blood samples were collected from 198 healthy controls and 208 people with T2DM from an independent cohort for comparison. Samples were analysed using high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy and LC-MS.

Results: The fasted metabolome of participants with T2DM did not differ from pre- to post-intervention. Following OGTT, glycolysis-related metabolites increased, and free fatty acids decreased over time, with no effect of the exercise intervention. In response to acute exercise, glucose and (branched-chain) amino acids decreased. In contrast, free fatty acids increased, with similar responses on the last as on the first day of training, indicating no effect of the intervention.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that a twelve-day moderate-intensity exercise intervention did not significantly alter the metabolome of individuals with T2DM, nor did it modify their metabolic responses to an OGTT or acute exercise. These findings indicate that short-term exercise interventions may not be sufficient to induce measurable metabolic changes in T2DM patients. Future research should explore longer or intensive exercise programs and modes of exercise (such as strength and interval training) or combinations thereof to determine the potential impact on the metabolome and metabolic health of individuals with T2DM.